Question

1. Describe the difference between a direct strategy between an informational report or an analytical report. Which have you had the opportunity to do in the business setting? If not currently working, which version of direct strategy report would you think could be used in business writing?

Answer 1

Informational reports mainly provide data, facts, and feedback. They also provide other types of relevant information but all these information are accompanied with no analysis or recommendations whatsoever. For instance decision making reports, policy reports, compliance reports and status reports can be examples of informational reports. On the other hand analytical reports provide information as well as analysis and recommendations. Presence of recommendations is the biggest difference between informational reports and analytical reports.

In the business setting I have had the opportunity to do an informational report. As finance and accounting analyst I make decision making reports for capital budgeting purposes. These reports analyses different investment proposals and projects and evaluates them on basis of capital budgeting tools like net present value, payback period, internal rate of return etc. The report merely provides the data and facts of each project using their financials and cash flows. No recommendation with regards to which project should be invested in is present in these reports.